Dragon Quest VII: A Place To Belong
by LSDreamscape
Summary: During a peaceful night, Aishe finds herself questioning her place in the world, thankfuly, she's not alone. A quiet conversation ensues between the two as the beautiful dancer finds where she belongs and even who her hearts belongs to. HeroXAishe


**Author's Note: Greetings friend, I hope you enjoy the story. I'm gonna ask you to forgive any spelling errors you find along the way, English isn't my first language ya see, never the less the story has been proof-read, so hopefuly not too many errors got away unchecked. Now onward with the story!**

* * *

She woke up with a stir.

Being a proud member of the Roamer tribe, Aishe was accustomed to sleeping on the ground and all the unpleasantries that came with camping. She had now found herself far, far away from the tribe who had raised her, now in the company of a quite frankly, eccentric group of men. Despite being used to sleeping under the stars, which truth be told, she prefered to do so as opposed to sleeping in an inn, she was having a hard time sleeping tonight. The sky above her was clear, but starless, none of them seem to shine tonight, an ill omen to be sure. She gazed up at the sky, one arm resting on her bare stomach, the other covered her forehead as she looked up.

She wondered how her tribe was fairing. She knew the Roamers were a strong and resourceful people, she had no reason to be worried about her tribe, her family. But for some reason, she felt homesick, even if it was quite the paradox, as the Roamers don't actually have homes, being nomads. That was the best way to explain it, after travelling for a couple of months with her new friends, she was starting to miss the familiar faces from the tribe, Rom Baro's wisdom, the children asking her to teach them to dance, the songs and laughter of her people, she even missed the way the elders would constantly lecture her about her wanderlust and stubborness.

Aishe was glad she was being given the chance to adventure and explore outside the tribe and she was certainly thankful for her companions allowing her to do so as she so dearly wished, but after travelling so far and seeing so many wonderful sights and adventures, she was starting to miss her family.

But she knew if she were to return to them, the rules she rebelled against so hard before would just sink their claws into her once again. Forced to dance for the good of her tribe's mission to usher in the rebirth of The Almighty. The dancer was a proud member of the Roamers, but their constricting views had often been a source of dispute between the tribe and the free spirited beauty. She figured that while she was homesick, she should make the most of the time she had to travel until her mission was complete and she had to return. But then, what would happen? Would she have to once again comfort to their rules and be forbidden to travel again? The past and the future seemed to weigh heavily on her mind, so much so, she let out a sad sigh as she looked up at the starless sky.

"Aishe? Everything ok?" Said a quiet voice to her right. Turning her head slightly beneath her arm, she was now looking at the young leader of the group: Seven.

The fisherman's son was seating next to her, his face illuminated by the fire they had set when they made camp in the grassy field. He was leaning back against a rock, in his lap he had his jornal opened, his hand held a pencil, indicating he had been writting in it. He looked concerned at her. She blinked a couple more times examining him and his expression before awnsering him.

"Pardon me, Seven. I did not mean to disturb you." She said as she once again turned her gaze towards the sky.

He shook his head. "You didn't, really. I'm just wondering if you're ok, I'm kind of worried." He was sincerely concerned for his friend.

She blinked before turning to him once again. The look in his eyes and the tone in his voice indicated he was telling the truth, he really was worried about her. She sighed once again and sat up, the bells in her jacket jingling gently as she did. She hugged her knees to her chest and looked at the young man.

"I am well, it's nice of you to concern yourself with me, Seven, but you needn't worry." She told him.

"Ok! I'm glad then. Just having some trouble sleeping?" He asked her.

"Something like that, yes." She said vaguely as she looked into the fire dancing in front of the two. She looked at the small camp they had set up, noticing that currently, only herself, Seven and the young wolf cub turned child, Ruff, were there.

"Where is Sir Mervyn?" She asked the cap wearing youth.

"Oh! He said he was going to 'patrol the perimeter.' I told him he didn't have to since I'm keeping watch, but he just took off before I could convince him." Seven said with a smile and a small chuckle.

This in turn caused Aishe to smile. "For an old man, he sure has alot of energy to spare." Seven nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon, I hope so anyway. Do you think he might have run into trouble?" The boy asked her concerned.

She looked back to the fire once more. "I'm sure he's fine Seven, he's strong enough to deal with any monster out there." She said trying to reasure him.

"I just worry is all." The young boy said while scratching his cheek. "But you're right, the night's too nice and calm for anything bad to happen, just a nice warm summer night." He said as he look up to the cloudless sky.

"Yes." Aishe agreed half-heartedly. "It's an almost perfect night." She said with a sad look of resignation in her eyes.

This didn't go unnoticed by Seven, who frowned as he looked on at his companion. "Aishe, are you sure you're ok? I don't want to annoy you or anything but..." He asked the older woman.

"I just have alot on my mind right now Seven, it'll be alright." She said, trying to convince both Seven and herself.

"Is there anything I can do to help cheer you up? I don't like seeing you like this." He told her, tilting his head slightly, causing the tassels in his hat to sway in the gentle breeze.

She sighed. "Thank you Seven, you're very sweet. But these are the kind of big problems that can't just be fixed so easily." Aishe lamented.

"Oh. I see, well if there's any small problems, I'll be here to help." Seven offered with a smile as he turned his attention back to his journal and resumed scribbling on it.

Aishe gave him a half-hearted laugh, releasing her knees from between her arms and stretching her legs, she murmured. "Not unless you can make the stars come out tonight." She looked once again to the clear night sky, closing her eyes and letting the breeze blow gently by her hair.

It was then that she felt something fall on her lap with a light "thud" noise. She opened her eyes and looked down confused at what could have suddenly landed between her thighs. In her lap, layed Seven's journal sprawled in two pages, there was a beautifuly detailed drawing of a small island, with a boat sailing in the water, beneath a gorgeous star filled sky. The colors were gentle and complimented the detailing wonderfuly.

"This..." Aishe began, touching the drawing gently, her fingers running through the paper, observing the beauty of the sight as she held the journal up in her hands to get a better look.

"That's Estard. It's the island I'm from, you remember right? We've been there before when we visited my parents." She heard Seven say as she looked back up at the boy who now had a big smile on his face.

"Yes, I remember...It looks amazing, it feels almost real." Aishe said as she once again looked at the drawing of the star filled sky over Estard island. She knew Seven was a talented artist. The journal contained information of all the monsters they had fought before, with illustrations done masterfuly by the young boy, he would take the time to draw and catalogue them in his book as they travelled, but she had never thought that he was so talented as to draw such a gorgeous picture.

"Eheheheheh! I guess that takes care of a small problem then, huh?" Seven said as he laughed softly looking at the beautiful dancer. She pried her eyes away from the drawing in her hands and looked back at the young boy.

He had a big silly grin plastered on his lips. It was a grin she had seen many times, he would often give her that grin whenever he was happy or when she complimented him. He was a jovial boy that much was certain, but for whatever reason, he only seemed to grin like that to her, a smile he only showed to her. The weirdest part however, it seemed completly natural. Like she had seen that smile all her life before, like something deep inside her always knew that smile and knew that it was something that bonded the two together, despite them never having met up until a couple of months earlier. She couldn't explain it, but that smile made her feel close to him, like it was a part of her. In a way, she craved it.

"Yes, it...It sure does. Thank you Seven." She said looking at her friend as the fire crackled and danced in front of the two. A comfortable silence feel between them.

"Not a problem, Aishe." He said with a nod. Before he could continue however, the young wolf cub turned man, Ruff, began whimpering, tossing and turning in his sleep. Without missing a beat, Seven turned to the young boy and began rubbing his tummy, causing the wildchild to quickly shake his leg and seemingly calming down and resumed his snoring, sleeping soundly while using his wolf companion as a pillow.

Aishe observed the scene quietly. "That's a useful trick to know." She said with a soft chuckle.

"He's still just a big puppy at heart, all puppies love to be petted afterall." Seven said as he looked down at the wildchild, rubbing his tummy as Ruff kept shaking his leg. The leader of the group always took care of his friends, but Ruff was like a little brother to him. He had stuck around with Seven longer than both Sir Mervyn and Aishe, she knew Seven had a soft spot for the group's youngest member.

While their leader was busy soothing the young wolf cub, Aishe began flipping through the pages of the journal. She saw the oldest pages of Seven's book. The early drawings of the monsters he had met when he started his journey so long ago were, well, dreadful. They weren't the best display of his talents. It almost gave her whiplash. The same Seven that seemingly had no idea how to drawn a hand or a foot was the same that had drawn the gorgeous scenery of the night sky over Estard. She chuckled lightly as she looked at his early illustrations of monsters such as slimes, chimeras, caniboxes and so forth.

She also saw drawings of the people Seven had met, while she had never met these people, Seven had written their names right next to them: Dermott the Hermit, Hanlon, Thaddeus, Autonymous, Lavender, Carraway, Jacquelinne, Bulgio, Honor , amongst several other people. All of them drawn with various degrees of quality, but all of them drawn lovingly and with great care. As she flipped through the pages, she spotted several drawings in the oldest pages of the book. It showed Seven himself, alongside a short girl wearing a dress with a kerchief over her hair and a tall man with messy hair wearing a tunic.

She paused on the picture, something drew her to it. More specifically, it drew her to the tall man that stood next to Seven. She had never seen him, she had no idea who he is or what his name was, but every fiber of her being seemed to recognized who this man was, like she had known him all her life. This couldn't possibly be, the man was a complete stranger, but he felt so...familiar.

"That's one of the first drawings I made, back when we went on our first adventure." Seven's voice brought her back to reality. She quickly looked back up to him, a soft blush tinging her cheek as she looked away quickly.

"P-Pardon me, I didn't mean to pry." She said embarassed, earning a laugh from Seven.

"Hey, it's ok! You can look through it if you want, I mean, what good are drawings if you can't show them to people?" Seven said simply with a smile.

"T-Thank you, Seven." She said with relief, she gave him a smile of her own while her cheeks were still tinged pink.

"It's funny to see you all embarassed like that Aishe, I don't think I've ever seen you like this before." Seven said with his heart-warming big grin as he turned towards her, laughing. The blush in the beautiful dancer's cheeks was now once again creeping back.

"D-Don't tease me so, Seven, it's most unbecoming." She said shyly, clearing her throat in an attempt to regain her composure.

The young boy then picked up his pet iguanna from his hat and rested it on his shoulder instead. "Sorry! It's just nice to see a different side of you." He explained her.

She shook her head with a smile and returned her attention to the journal. "You've certainly improved over time." She stated as she flipped through the pages, they contained several sketches of the girl and the man from Seven's first drawing, ranging in quality but progressively getting better as she flipped through the pages.

"Yeah, it just took some practice. Maribel used to get really annoyed when I did a drawing she didn't like." He said with a shrug, leaning back on the rock behind him.

"So this is Maribel? The girl that used to travel with you?" Aishe asked as she looked down at the sketches of the mayor's daughter. Seven gave her a small sound of confirmation.

"Come to think, she would also get angry even when I did do a good drawing. She always did have very high standards." Seven said with a nostalgic smile, looking down at his own drawing.

"What was she like?" Aishe asked, looking at Seven. The young man got up and made his way towards the beautiful dancer, sitting down next to her, he took the journal and flipped through some of the pages, to show her a detailed drawing of Maribel's face.

"Well, she was very...Confident. She would always get us to try and do our best, very stubborn and, uh, strongheaded." Seven sqwirmed in his seat, it seems her was having a hard time finding the right words to describe his friend.

"She seems like quite the character." Aishe told him, this seemed to ease the young man as he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"That's one way to put it I suppose. She used to treat me like a lackey or a servant, she was always telling me what to do and to keep protecting her from everything, she was so pushy. I remember this one time she chewed my ear off for half an hour for sleeping in and making her wait for me." Seven confessed to the older beauty while looking at the fire.

Despite the words Seven spoke, Aishe sensed no bitterness or anger in them, in fact, she could only register foundness in his voice as he told her of how Maribel used to treat him. Were it anyone else, Aishe would understand if they were upset at being treated in such fashion, but with Seven, she understood he hadn't a single malicious thought in his head for anyone, regardless of how they treated him, she understood how he felt.

"You miss her." She said as she gazed at her young friend.

He nodded with a smile. "Yeah. I think about her everyday." He said as he counted on his fingers. "Her, my parents, my uncle Pike, our friends back on the island." He listed them one by one fondly. "I can't wait to see them again someday."

"I feel the same way about my tribe." The dancer confessed as she sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's funny, I spent all my life rebelling against the teaching of my tribe, trying to leave it behind and see the world, but now..." She trailed off with a sigh. "It feels as if I am forever searching of a place to belong, but can never truly find."

Seven sat quietly as Aishe vented her concerns to the young man.

"I would give anything to see them again." The dancer confessed. "But I also wonder...If I returned, would I truly be happy? Maybe I'm just homesick."

The two sat in silence as neither knew what to say. Seven simply watched as his friend vented her sadness over being separated from her family, unsure of where she belonged in the world. She was homesick, but somehow it felt as if it cut deeper, like a feeling inside her wanted to rebel but still belong. The young fisherman's son had seen this before, with "him".

"...I know how you feel, Aishe." The young man spoke up softly, his voice barely above a whisper, he moved closer to his homesick friend, his shoulder pressed against hers, he gently rubbed her back to soothe her.

She turned her head to face him, looking up at her friend. "Huh?"

"This world is so big, it almost feels too big sometimes, even if it's broken into pieces and scattered through time, between the monsters roaming the land and being far from the people we love, it can sometimes feel too much." He said while rubbing her back up and down with a gentle touch. "But nothing's ever lost forever, the ones we love are never too far away, so long as we keep them with us on the inside...Does that make sense to you?" He told her as he looked down.

Aishe now seemed confused, the young man she was used to seeing being so carefree and jolly all the time now seemed to speak with the confidence and the wisdom of a man beyond his age, like a sage giving insight to a puppil, his words registering deep inside her, she sat up and looked towards her friend.

"Aren't you worried about forgetting them though? That someday you won't be able to see them again?" She voiced her concern.

"Hmm? Nah." He told her waving his hand dismissively with a chuckle. "I know I'll see them again someday, it's just a matter of time." He said confidently leaning back on is hands.

"You sound so sure...How can you be so confident?" She asked softly.

"Because they're all waiting for me." Seven said simply.

"They're waiting for you?" She repeated.

He nodded with a sound of confirmation. "Well, yeah. Even though we're so far apart, somewhere out there, there's people who become a part of you. They're more than just friends or family, they touch you inside, they laugh with you, they cry for you, they want nothing but the best for you, they become so important to you that they become a part of you are, they're the reason you're alive." He told her while gazing up at the sky, as if he saw their faces looking them at the two of them. "As long you're here, they're also here with you, time and distance don't matter anymore, doesn't matter how far away you go, they're here, with you." He stopped before turning his gaze to Aishe. "With us."

The beautiful dancer looked up at her young friend, tears brimming in her eyes, threatning to fall at any moment. Every word he spoke to her ressonanted inside her, as if these words were spoken to her a long time ago and layed dormant within, waiting to be said all this time. The young man she called leader seemed to be the older one of the two at this moment, taking care of her as if she was a lost child, he ceased to be a child in her eyes right then, instead becoming a man to her. His words completed her, erasing her doubts and her fears.

"Seven...Thank you." She said softly with a small sob, a few tears running down her face.

"Hey, come on, I didn't mean to make you cry. I thought you were the grown-up here." He said with a good-hearted laugh, pushing her shoulder lightly with his, causing her give a small giggle as she dried her tears on her glove."

"D-Don't tease me, Seven." She said softly as she pushed him back, the two sitting closer together laughing.

"You're going to be ok Aishe, even if you're lonely, you're not alone, you have your tribe with you at all times, you even have Ruff with you too and Sir Mervyn's here as well and..." He listed off before she interupted him.

"And you?" She asked gazing into his soft eyes.

"And me!" He told her happily pointing at himself, giving her the smile she so dearily loved, the smile that made her feel like she belonged at his side all her life, as if she waited for entire lifetimes to see it and be near him.

"Thank you Seven." She said honestly while looking at her companion.

"You're not alone Aishe, even if you're lonely, I won't let you feel sad, I'll be right here, no matter what." He promised her with a smile while facing her.

"I had no idea you were also good with your words Seven, I suppose drawings aren't your only talent." She said with a chuckle.

"Nah, I'm just telling you what a friend told me a long time ago, he was always better with this stuff than me." He stated matter-of-factly.

"He sounds like a wise man." Commented the dancer.

"Eheheheh, if he heard you say that he'd probably let it get to his head." Seven said with a laugh and his big jolly grin.

"Perhaps not all that wise then." She joined his laugh.

Seven retrieved his journal and flipped through the pages before landing on a drawing of himself, Maribel and another man that Aishe did not recognize. The drawing showed Seven standing between his two friends with his hands on his hips and grinning happily while Maribel crossed her arms giving a sly smile, the tall man smiled warmly while holding a large sword, a sword that Aishe did recognized, actually, it looked EXACTLY the same as the sword she carried.

Before she could question her companion about this, she heard him speak up. "This is him." He told her, pointing at the tall man on the drawing with a somewhat bittersweet smile.

Aishe looked down at the drawing once again before looking at her friend, he was gazing at his drawing with such nostalgic eyes, whoever this person was, it was clear he meant the world to Seven.

"I think I made him too tall, he was never this big. But he said it made him look "even more dashing" so he liked it." Seven revealed with a with a hearty laugh looking down at the journal in his lap.

Aishe observed her friend with a soft smile, enjoying his company and his good mood. "The way you speak so fondly of him, he must mean alot to you." She commented.

"Yeah, more than you can imagine." He said softly while tracing his finger on the drawing gently. "He was the closest thing I ever had to a brother, I owe him everything."

"Where is he now? If you don't mind me asking that is." She said curious while placing a strand of stray hair behind her ear, watching her friend.

Seven's mood slightly sombered as he took off his hat, his wild shaggy black hair now exposed. He rubbed the back of his head somewhat uncomfortable and sighed. "He's...He's...No longer around." He settled on finally before bitting on his bottom lip and looked away saddly.

"Ah, I see." Aishe said, sensing her friend's discomfort on the topic, she still wanted to ask him about his friend's sword, but decided now was not the right time to do so. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up sad memories." She tried to comfort her friend, rubbing her arm gently.

"Oh! No, no! It's ok!" He quickly perked up, you could never make Seven sad for too long, a lesson Aishe had learned by now. "I'm not sad! It was his choice to leave, I'm sure he didn't regret it at all!" He said before smiling once again.

"He left you behind by choice? How could he do such a thing?" Aishe asked confused, if this man and Seven were so close, why would he have chosen to leave his brother? "That seems so...Cruel..." She said perhaps more harshly than she intended, Seven however simply laughed before looking at the beautiful dancer.

"He found his place in the world." He said with the sweetest most gentle smile he had ever given her, it was almost enough to make her melt on the spot as she felt her cheeks warm up and turn red.

"His place...In the world?" She repeated in awe, as the words ressonated inside her once again.

"Yep! He was always fighting so hard against the people around him, he wasnt happy where he was, at all." Seven explained while looking at the beautiful dancer sitting so close to him. "The two of us were always trying to find a way to escape Estard and go on adventures, it used to make our parents so mad, his dad especially." He chuckled while remembering the past as she hung on to his every word.

"After we started our quest through time to restore the world, he eventually found a place he could call home." He said softly. "Somewhere he was needed and felt like he belonged, where he could finally call home."

"I think I understand." She said with a sigh. "I, too, hope to find such a place someday." She confessed.

"You will, Aishe! I know you will." Seven said excited while grinning at her.

"You...You always sound so confident, don't you?" She chuckled while meeting his gaze.

"Yep! If he found his place in the world, then I know you can do it too, I'm sure of it." Seven told her, giving her the smile she loved.

"Even." A pause. "Even if we have to go our separate ways some day?" She asked him.

"Of course! Even if we never see each other again, you and I will always be together, I won't ever forget you Aishe, you're a part of me too." He told with his grin while sitting next to her.

Aishe was at a loss for words once again, tears once again threatened to fall. This simple fisherman's son seemed to just cut through her defenses and her fears and was able to subside them all with ease, as if he knew exactly what to say to make her feel complete, making her feel as if all her life had been waiting for him to come along and deliver this message to her. Before any tears could escape her eyes however, she quickly threw her arms around the young man and pulled him close to her, causing him to stiffen and blush maddly.

"Thank you Seven, I don't know what I'd do without you." She whispered softly while holding him in her arms.

Despite being momentarily stunned, the young man recovered and wrapped his arms around the older beauty, holding her tight with a chuckle. "Don't worry Aishe, I'll always be here to help you, I promise." He gave her his vow as the two held each other in the night.

"Thank you..." She said as softly as a prayer.

The hour grew late as the two spent it together in each others arms, neither wanting to let go of the other. The starless night continued on with the fire slowly growing dim, the only sound being that of Ruff's snoring and the crickets chirping far away in the summer night. Eventually, a figure made it's way to the group's make-shift camp, an elderly knight arrived before them.

"T'would see as if we are safe my friends, this should continue on 'till the 'morrow I beli-." Sir Mervyn began to speak as he arrived at camp and observed the scene before him.

Now joining Ruff and his wolf companion in slumber were Aishe and Seven. The gorgeous dancer and the young fisherman's son were now both soundly asleep, holding each other in their arms, Aishe's head resting on top of Seven's as she held it close to her chest, which he now used as a pillow, breathing softly into it as the two slept peacefuly in each others arms, as if everything was right with the world.

"Oh, my." The old knight chuckled as he stroked his bushy mustache with a happy smile. "Best not to interupt then." He said as he sat down, placing his sword next to him and watched over the fire throughout the night.

* * *

The morning came eventually, the dark skies being replaced with bright blue with no clouds in sight, the sun shinning down on the party's camp as the heroes slept peacefuly in the warm morning, the birds singing in the distance a soft tune.

Aishe was the first of the group to wake up, her eyes fluttered slowly and she stifled a yawn as she felt something being held in her arms. Looking down she saw Seven sleeping softly in her arms, using her chest as a pillow. She blushed bright red as she tried to move, feeling his arms tightening on her, holding her close to him and refusing to let go as he nuzzled her chest tenderly.

With a smile and a soft giggled she whispered. "Ok, you win." She held him close and gently stroked his jet black hair, still somewhat sleepy herself.

She turned her eyes downward, noticing Seven's journal, they had forgotten about it shortly after their conversation last night, she still had questions regarding the mystery man who had left their group before she had joined with them, but for now those questions could wait. Curiosity was however starting to rise as she stared at the journal.

"I wonder..." She said softly, removing her hand from his hair she picked up the journal and began to flip the pages before finding what she was looking for. In a page towards the middle of the book she found a drawing of herself, a full page dedicated only to her, lovingly drawn with so much attention to detail and care, from her hair to her eyes. In the margins a small sentence was written:

"Aishe has joined us today! She's really cool, I hope she'll like being with us."

The older woman looked down at the young man in her arms with a sweet smile and a small chuckle. She closed the journal and placed it down behind him next to his hat. With her free hand she lifted his bangs softly and gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead lovingly, causing him to mumble into her breasts and nuzzle them in his sleep, making her smile.

"Silly boy, I love being with you more than you even begin to suspect." She whispered softly, more to herself than to her sleeping companion."

"Where I belong in this world, is by your side." Aishe said tenderly as she squeazed him tight in her arms and leaned down placing another kiss, this time on his cheek, followed by another and another and another, filling his face with her kisses, giggling to herself as he'd mumble with each one.

While it was rather embarassing for the boy to wake up questioning why his face was now covered with her lipstick, she didn't care, she'd make her feelings known for him when the time was right, for now, she was happy just keeping him near her at all times.

The following days, Seven noticed the roaming dancer was noticeably more clingy and caring towards him, always making sure she'd place herself next to him or hugging him and squeazing tight against her chest in their downtime. She seemed alot happier by his side though, so he didn't question it.

He was glad she found her place in the world.

* * *

Shortly after the defeat of the Demon Lord Orgodemir, peace at been established throughout the entire world, which now stood complete and united under the watchful eye of the true Almighty. Prosperity now reigned supreme as the lands opened their borders safely without the threat of monsters attacking anymore. People were now truly connected as they had been so very long ago, ensuring a bright future for everyone.

Aishe resumed her place as King Donald's personal guard in Estard Castle, she found herself distracted as the King talked to her however. Today was the day that the ships sailed from Pilchard Bay to the high seas to gather as much fish as they could, an easy tasks nowadays considering the new peace that covered the land had made it so that the seas were now bursting with fresh fish for the taking.

She had wanted to be there to see the ships off to sail, not just to wish them a safe trip, but also to see her Seven as well, any excuse she could get to spend time with the younger boy she would take. While Pilchard Bay was just a stone's thrown away from Estard and she would often be allowed by King Donald to go visit him, love is a greedy affair, it was never enough.

After the group had felled the Demon Lord, she had made her feelings toward the fisher man's son clear, confessing her love to him. Unfortunatly, being as oblivious as he was, it took a moment or two for Seven to realize exactly what Aishe meant when she said she wanted to be by his side forever. A rather passionate kiss from the gorgeous dancer however served as the best explanation he could ever recieve.

The two had become a couple since then. A blessed union between the two, complete with plenty of quiet soft moments together, as well as time with their friends and dinners with Seven's family, who welcomed Aishe with open arms (Pollock was extremely proud his son was able to land such "catch") and with Aishe's new family too as the King and Princess had taken her in graciously into their home.

However due to the new prosperity the world was enjoying with all the lands being connected, King Donald was often invited to visit other kingdoms as to establish treaties and other political reasons, thus forcing Aishe to follow him and Princess Lisette to guard them. As such, the lovely dancer had spent a long time apart from her beloved.

Her thoughts were solely on him right now as she stood on the outlook of Estard Castle as King Donald spoke to her, the sun setting in the distance, covering the sky in a orange and purple shroud.

"Aishe? I say young lady, am I just wasting my breath?" He asked her with crossed arms, raising his voice slightly to reach her.

This got her attention as she snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head quickly. "Y-Yes?! My lord?"

"Is there something on your mind, Aishe?" He asked with a knowing grin, betraying his rather stern appearance. "Or rather, someone?"

Aishe blushed almost as red as her outfit and tried to regain her composure. "N-No, my King, I apologize for my distraction."

"Thee wath thinking about Theven, daddy! Thee mithes him." Said Princess Lisette with her usual lisp and a girlish giggle.

"Indeed she was my dear. If I'm not mistaken, today was when the fishing boats sailed from Pilchard Bay." King Donald said as he stroked his chin in thought.

"T-That is correct sire." Aishe said, still not having regained her composure.

"Ah, young love. It reminds me of my wife's and I's courting days." He said with a soft sigh, remembering days long past.

"I apologice for being distracted Your Highness, I'll see to it that it doesn't happen again, I promise you." Aishe said with a bow.

This earned a short laugh from the King. "Don't make promises you can't keep lass. I was once young too, I understand very well how love works. Even if you try your hardest, your thoughts will always belong to that special someone, even if you have to run an entire kingdom or just a fishing ship, they are the one at the end of the day, that your entire world revolves around." King Donald sagely told her as he puts his hands on her shoulders and squeazed them in reasurance.

"My King..." Aishe trailed off as she was shocked by how understanding her liege was. This is not to say King Donald was by any means a strict man, but it was still surreal to see him offer her such kind words.

"Don't worry Aithe! You'll thee him again, real thoon!" Said the young Princess as she took Aishe's hand and held it tight, squeazing it.

"Thank you, Your Highness." The beautiful dancer looked down at the young girl with a found smile, squeazing her hand in return.

"We owe you and Seven more than we could ever repay, to see you two happy together is indeed a great joy." The king told her with a smile and gave a sigh. "I'm sure my son would aprove immensely of you two, wherever he may be." He spoke, gazing off into the distance.

Princess Lisette quickly let go of Aishe's hand and instead hugged her father's waist tight in an attempt to keep her father from feeling sad, burrying her face in his stomach as he placed a hand on top of her head and rubbed it softly.

The former Roamer bit on her bottom lip, she then spoke up as she looked at the two. "Something inside tells me, he too found his great love, somewhere out there...The Prince found someone to live for, I know it." She said softly as the wind blew by them gently.

The King seemed rather surprised by her words before his gaze softened, the Princess looked up to her guardian as well, her eyes a bit watery before she Aishe kneeled down and gentled wiped them, gaining a smile from the young Princess and a happy nod.

"Yes, I too feel this way, I know my son found his great love." The King said, full of hope in his voice as the three shared a tender moment as a family on the outlook of the castle.

The comfortable silence was broken shortly after however, as the King chuckle softly, looking on to the road in the distance. "Speaking of which, I believe yours is coming up the road as we speak." He said as he nodded his head towards behind Aishe.

Turning around, the dancer saw where the King was looking towards. In the distance, a young man clad in green ran as fast as he could up the road, she moved closer and grabbed on to the railing, leaning forward to gain a better view. The young man became clearer as he ran closer towards Estard, followed closely by a redheaded girl wearing a long dress and young boy riding on top of a large wolf.

"AAAAAAAISHE!" Shouted the young man, even at this distance, she could see he had that large smile plastered on his face that she so dearly loved more than anything in this world. It was unmistakly him.

"Seven!" Aishe said, her voice giddy with happiness as she turned around and began to run to the stairs before stopping and turning around to face King Donald.

"Well? Don't be foolish girl! Run!" He told her with a big smile, which was mirrored by Princess Lisette's who giggled shyly while still hugging her father's waist.

Without a second to waste, the girl bolted down the stairs into the castle proper. She felt her heartbeat loudly in her chest as she climbed down the steps and ran down the halls, making her way down to the bottom floor. Her thoughts repeating his name over and over in her mind as if it was the only thing in the world she knew at this moment in time.

Downstairs, the guards opened the large castle doors for the green clad hero and his friends as they ran inside quickly. His head looking everywhere for a sign of the red dancer. He wouldn't have to wait long however as she arrived on top of the main stairs, the two looked at each other, still trying to catch their breathes, neither speaking, just smiling at each other lovingly. Aishe hadn't even payed any mind to the stone tablet Seven had in hand which looked so similar to the ones they had hunted together as a group some time ago.

"I'm so glad to see you." He broke the silence first, his voice heavy with emotion.

Without any other words, the dancer dashed down the stairs and quickly threw herself at his arms. Due to their height difference however, the boy struggled to hold her and the two ended up falling on the floor as Aishe was still considerably taller than him. Neither of the two minded it however as she quickled filled her beloved's face with as many kisses as she could, much to his embarassment.

The commotion in the castle foyer had attracted the attention of the staff who watched with amused the scene that played out, some shouting words of joy for the two while others clapped.

As King Donald and his daughter made their way down the stairs, he stod atop watching as his castle was once again filled with life and joy as it had once been years ago. Princess Lisette made her way down the stairs to join the group as the castle staff watched Maribel chew into Seven and Aishe for causing such an indicent display as Ruff laughed loudly.

The King wondered how long it would take until his castle would host a wedding for the young couple, though he suspected it wouldn't be long, any day now.

* * *

 **And that's The End, friends. I hope ya had a good time, I'll be seeing ya around.**


End file.
